Ex-Sunderland boss Alex Neil 'under consideration' for unexpected foreign job - report

Former Sunderland boss Alex Neil is “under consideration” for the managerial vacancy at MLS franchise Philadelphia Union, according to reports.

The Scot was in charge of the Black Cats as they won promotion back to the Championship from League One in 2022, but left the Stadium of Light in August of that year to join Stoke City. Neil lasted until the December of 2023, at which point he was relieved of his duties with the Potters languishing 20th in the second tier. Since then, the 43-year-old has been out of work, but could be in line to secure his next gig in a wholly unfamiliar environment. According to the Daily Record, Neil has emerged as a contender to be named as Union’s new manager, and finds himself “amongst a strong field of American and international candidates”.

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It is understood that Neil has had several opportunities to return to the dugout since leaving Stoke, but has kept his powder dry while waiting for what he perceives to be the right club. To that end, a stint in the USA is said to appeal. The ex-Black Cats chief reportedly spent some time stateside over the summer, visiting clubs and networking with potential employers.

Neil is also understood to be open to the prospect of working in Pennsylvania, and has made no secret of his desire to seek out new opportunities overseas in the past. For their part, Union ended an eleven-year association with previous coach Jim Curtin earlier this month having failed to qualify for the end of season play-offs.

Speaking about his time out of work earlier this year, Neil said: “Obviously, I’ve been on a few holidays since I left Stoke and had time to reflect - as you do. Every club you work at is very, very different... they are not even similar. Honestly, even the structure of things and how you report to people. And what happens is, when you walk into any club people try and paint an understanding of the situation the club is in.

“But, every club you walk into, when you lift the bonnet up and look under it, you think: ‘Ooh, right, okay, it’s a little bit different than what I thought’. And then, you’ve got to try and make the best use of what you’ve got - and try win as many games as you can. But yeah, for me, I’ll just look for the next challenge and see what comes up over the summer, or into next year.”